Things like birthdays and New Years bring forth so much contemplation for me because I don’t wish to be a person driven by a number or like to take ‘holidays’ seriously, because I don’t care to be manipulated by media and or others perceptions of me.  However, I do take seriously creating a better me for a better quality of existence.  This process entails reflection and unconventional ways of getting to know myself.  Although, I do find that others are instrumental in me getting to know me, because different people bring out different sides of me.  But SELF CONTAINMENT, quiet time, and hard sweaty workouts bring out the best in me. I decided to go into my deep closet and dig out my large box of cds, so that I can change the rotation of the 10 that I have had in my car since August.  They include: The Replacements Pleased to Meet Me, The Best of Ted Nugent, Black Sabbath We Sold Our Soul for Rock and Roll, Ozzy Osbourne The cd with mouths and eyes on it, a compilation of 80s-90s hits including Janes, Public Enemy, Beasties, Chemical Bros, The Very Best of Dokken, EPMD Strictly Business, Aerosmith, Toys in the Attic, Soundgarden Down on the Upside.

I have not decided what to replace them with, today.. it will happen.  But as I searched for my box of cds, I happened across an Astrology Report by Liz Greene, that my friend Alec suggest I get a few years back.  It is a psychological Horoscope and I decided to bring it with me to the gym— to read as I did cardio and stretched out.  I am glad I read it because it does for the most part ring true.  The parts of us we don’t want to face are difficult and hard to determine by ourselves.  This report puts it all into perspective based upon my birthdate, year, place of birth and time of birth. Pretty amazingly CRAZY and bizarre that much of it is actually true and I wouldn’t be able to articulate my flaws without it.  There is something ok about a report telling you about your flaws, instead of a person you know who thinks they know you better than you know yourself.  These nuances are so buried, and are shadows of ourselves.. and very interesting to know because most of the time we don’t even know the duality exists!

I have chosen to share with you, my strengths, flaws, and human-ness that was presented to me on paper, via an Astrology Chart dictated by Liz Greene.  I cannot provide every page in this post because it would be too revealing, gratuitous, and down right boring.. So I will reveal parts of me in installments!  If you want to order your own chart, go to: http://www.astro.com

Here is page 1-5…

What is significant and what isn’t in terms of the explanations of reality, spirituality, consciousness, and religion?  If you can believe that the Bible is true without fully experiencing it, only hearing about it, reading it and studying it, why can’t you believe in scientific theories that have been proven with experiment after experiment?  Is it biologically possible for there to be a heaven hanging up in the sky with people partying and having a good time all in one place after they die? who knows, but I would like to appeal to your senses for just a moment. I want you to contemplate a new emerging belief system that has been steeped in experimentation, practiced in energy work, and manifesting itself through rituals like meditation, reikei, brain scans and scientific testing.

Miracles, as it were and are, are the work and intention brought forth by human existence.  How can Quantum Physics be “weird”, misunderstood, and rejected when the Bible is so readily believeable with out any proof? I am not suggesting you deploy your faith and religious convictions, but what I am asking of you is to open your mind and use the same part of it you reserve for religious conviction to open it further to the infinite power of human-ness.  Previously, science and medicine informed us that nothing beyond what we can see, feel, hear, and touch exists (Newtonian), but now as of the fascinating work of physicists all over the world, we are finding that the world is much larger than the physical and tangible.  if you think about it, all the mystics, including  God, Jesus, Ghandi, and all the other great historical minds, they were PEOPLE who simply used the power we all have and brought it to the next level.  They were no better than each of us, just more disciplined, driven, and focused on their message.  When your intention is fully executed in body, mind and spirit you can achieve great things, as proven by these above forementioned individuals.

I now challenge you to think on that a bit, and now move into opening your mind to the quantum physics world that has been brought to our attention much more as of late.  Human potential is infinite, and vast, just as it was for the great mystics.  They were no different than you and I, just more disciplined.  If each of us just grabs a bit more of our brain potential and realize that our thoughts create our reality, not a weird or unbelieveable theory, we can achieve much more astounding human relationships, personal lives, professional lives and have a lot more respect for others, even strangers.  After all what is prayer? It is a purposeful intention to create peace and healing and that is not weird to most of us!  Prayer is INTENTION.. focused INTENTION… quantum physics tells us to create more positive intentions because that is what is going to create potential, happiness, and success.  What you tell yourself about yourself or others becomes TRUTH.  Be careful about your thoughts, about your truth and learn more about theories that are most similar to your religious beliefs, open that mind, use that brain for all it is worth.  We only use a fraction of our brain power!  Spirituality is based upon this human consciousness that we have to create mini miracles everyday, for ourselves and others.  Quantum Physics theories, experiments and studies illustrate how all of this is truthful.  Brain scans can’t lie, and miracles don’t lie.  Miracles are the direct result of our intentions, not of an other wordly being. 

Harness your intentions, beliefs, and change them to dictate what it is you have mapped out for yourself.  Read a little bit more, delve into self study.  Train your brain, tune up your brain on a regular basis.  Give yourself the time you would give to a machine that needed maintainance and repair.  If you aren’t inclined to read, download an mp3 file and listen to it as you lay down, or work out, have it sink into your subconcious.  Not all of us are comfortable with therapy, but a little consciousness is always good for the soul.  Self help isn’t just for the messed up.  It helps us to remind ourselves to prioritize the important things, to care for ourselves first and foremost because the more we care and love ourselves, the more we are able to love others.  Spirituality is a growth vertical for a reason.  It brings peace of mind, reminds us of how much potential we have, and puts us on a path of betterment.  It isn’t just for women, it isn’t for weirdos, it is for people who wish to evolve, learn and find excitement in knowledge and potential.

Sometimes I wish the word Spirituality was Human Potential instead, because that is a much more accurate portrayal of the philosophy. It isn’t boring, natural, crispy, plain people, granola and hippy, it is SCIENCE.  You will all notice in the coming year and going forward an emergence of human potential philosophies rising to the surface, infiltrating the media, and becoming mainstream.  Shame on you if you don’t delve into yourself and discover all that you can be as a result of the inundation of tons of information, alternative healing therapies, and simple reflection.  It will only enhance your existence 1 million fold.

I am going to create a category called Human Potential here on this site and fill it with lots of great choices for you to imbibe in, grow and think.  It isn’t hocus pocus, it isn’t voodoo, it isn’t weird, it is a devotion and a dedication to yourself and what your potential is a person.

Fuckin A!

My black Gucci Horse Bit Loafers..  how exquisite they lay on my little feet,  while looking down I feel so pleased about the message they send to the world… I am practical due to the classic styling, however, impractical because of the brand…  the understated elegance and comfort…. today, I am going old school, black turtle neck, skinny levis, Gucci, no sox, red prep school skinny tie belt and pink cashmere scarf… it just feels right… Hair in a high pony tail, simple, clean and contemplating my new year… with many thoughts in my head… my simple attire doesn’t distract me from my intellectual goal setting… but my pony tail makes me aware … ha ha ha ha…. I think Einstein always got it “right”… and if you are starting to contemplate your next move, your New Year, your goals, your philosophy.. the quotes below  might assist you in putting it into words…

Collected Quotes from Albert Einstein

• “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to move in the opposite direction.”
• “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
• “Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.”
• “I want to know God’s thoughts; the rest are details.”
• “The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.”
• “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”
• “The only real valuable thing is intuition.”
• “A person starts to live when he can live outside himself.”
• “I am convinced that He (God) does not play dice.”
• “God is subtle but he is not malicious.”
• “Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.”
• “I never think of the future. It comes soon enough.”
• “The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility.”
• “Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing.”
• “Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind.”
• “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
• “Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds.”
• “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”
• “Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.”
• “Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one’s living at it.”
• “The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.”
• “The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.”
• “God does not care about our mathematical difficulties. He integrates empirically.”
• “The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking.”
• “Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal.”
• “Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.”
• “The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible.”
• “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
• “Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school.”
• “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
• “Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.”
• “Equations are more important to me, because politics is for the present, but an equation is something for eternity.”
• “If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut.”
• “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the the universe.”
• “As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.”
• “Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.”
• “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
• “In order to form an immaculate member of a flock of sheep one must, above all, be a sheep.”
• “The fear of death is the most unjustified of all fears, for there’s no risk of accident for someone who’s dead.”
• “Too many of us look upon Americans as dollar chasers. This is a cruel libel, even if it is reiterated thoughtlessly by the Americans themselves.”
• “Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism — how passionately I hate them!”
• “No, this trick won’t work…How on earth are you ever going to explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?”
• “My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.”
• “Yes, we have to divide up our time like that, between our politics and our equations. But to me our equations are far more important, for politics are only a matter of present concern. A mathematical equation stands forever.”
• “The release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking…the solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker.”
• “Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence.”
• “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.”
• “A man’s ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeeded be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.”
• “The further the spiritual evolution of mankind advances, the more certain it seems to me that the path to genuine religiosity does not lie through the fear of life, and the fear of death, and blind faith, but through striving after rational knowledge.”
• “Now he has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means nothing. People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.”
• “You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat.”
• “One had to cram all this stuff into one’s mind for the examinations, whether one liked it or not. This coercion had such a deterring effect on me that, after I had passed the final examination, I found the consideration of any scientific problems distasteful to me for an entire year.”
• “…one of the strongest motives that lead men to art and science is escape from everyday life with its painful crudity and hopeless dreariness, from the fetters of one’s own ever-shifting desires. A finely tempered nature longs to escape from the personal life into the world of objective perception and thought.”
• “He who joyfully marches to music rank and file, has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action. It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder.”
• “A human being is a part of a whole, called by us _universe_, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest… a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
• “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.” (Sign hanging in Einstein’s office at Princeton)

Life is a journey of  love, learning, happiness, sadness, pain and learning.  I am so excited, most days, to be in the thick of it, feeling, laughing, thinking and changing.  It is going to be a new year soon, and a good friend said one thing I MIGHT seriously need to work on is patience.  I agree in terms of waiting in lines, sitting in traffic and when teaching someone something..BUT in reality, I am a smorgasbord kind of girl, give me a little of everything RIGHT NOW… food buffets are like heaven to me.  I don’t like having to order one entree for dinner at a restaurant.. so unfair… I always want a little of everything IMMEDIATELY. 

I am going to TRY to have more patience in terms of situations mentioned above, like LINES, Strangers doing annoying things around me, driving, patience with “myself,” etc… There is also another kind of patience.. and that is with going for what you want, goal setting, etc.  I am of the school that we could die any minute, and IF we have too much patience, we might not experience what it is we “want” by sitting around being patient and waiting for something to happen…maybe that is the caveat here, what we “want” versus what we “need.”  Is that the big PLAN, the spiritual way of life, to just act on what we NEED? But isn’t a big, happy part of life getting what we “want” too? Isn’t there so much pleasure in what we WANT versus what we NEED?  The yin and the yang of it all.. is what makes decisions difficult sometimes.  I say EFF it, go for what you want, in the time that works for you… YOU HAVE TO… IT IS YOUR LIFE…  Life is fleeting as a motherf>>>>r.. we all know that… if something we “Want” is going to make us happy, I am of the school that we MUST go for it within reason, otherwise, the moment could be lost forever.  It’s LIFE, LIVE IT.. but I guess I will try to pepper a little patience in there where I can… if appropriate… ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—-  EFF appropriate! I gotta be ME… I WANT, I WANT, I WANT,  that can’t be BAD… we all WANT something…even if it is internal satisfaction.. we still “want it”… and we all must decide what it is we NEED… so confusing.. seriously, I just want to have a really good time, smile, love, and just BE….where ever I may be and whomever I may be with…

yup, barefoot, grass, flipflops= happiness

Somedays I wake up much more inspired than others, and today seems to be a special day as I am full of the excitement that derives from my full potential as a person.  I am sure it has something to do with my watching the film, Something Unknown, last night and the fact that I learn so many new and interesting things working for Dr. Henry Grayson.  It is my personal belief that we all need to work a little harder on being better people, and living a life with integrity and character.  If we haven’t established personal boundaries we don’t have a “self.”  The true self is something with which you are distinctly aware and it is important if you are to assert yourself and views appropriately to others. I believe the most important element for success in general is the ability to swim positive in the sea that is life.  Try to relate to others instead of judging them, and smile a lot, because it feels good. I have always possessed this innate acceptance since childhood.  I am always interested in the unique and different from the ”status quo.”  I appreciate artistic, creative, and personal expression.  Everyone has something to teach you that you may not know about life or yourself.  It is difficult to see ourselves as we are and often times others will be instrumental in that endeavor.  I also believe it is important to love yourself, and not quiet yourself for anyone.. often times, in other’s discomfort, we may downplay ourselves, our exhuberance, and our happiness.. I say EFF that, and SHINE… shine all you can because life can be fleeting! For those of us who have lost a parent suddenly or a friend, we all know how very mortal we are and the ultimate loss of control we experienced due to these losses.  Don’t ever be ashamed of being confident and knowing who you are as  it is the greatest gift you can give to someone- yourself… You can’t give it if you don’t know it….  warmly, sandra.. I have to post this.. now.. pink floyd, shine on you crazy diamond.. it just came to me .. i love this song.. although I am not suggesting that shining is concurrent with crazy.. this is Roger Waters’ dedication to Syd Barrett, who went a little crazy, unfortunately, but the song is beautiful..

Though we may find it difficult to accept, our hurtful words towards or about others has a cumulative negative effect in the spiritual realm, which in turn generates personal and global suffering. To eradicate the darkness and chaos from human existence, we must extinguish the parallel force in the upper worlds through mindful speech. Today, if you have nothing nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.

Nothing kills passion like routine. You can be living the perfect life and still lose your juice if you are not learning new things and seeing different angels and angles all the time. Today, stand on your head. Eat a different flavor donut. Brush your teeth with your opposite hand. Get into the mindset of doing the little things different, and the big things will emerge.

(this is a repost of her words from her site, I can’t help but share this vital information!)

Notes from Tricia: A Bevy of Boob Jobs

If you live in Los Angeles, it isn’t hard to notice the sea of medically augmented breasts among us. In fact, plastic surgery is to Los Angeles, what the Red Sox are to Boston (btw, sorry about your loss, Boston).

I’ve lived in LA for 5 years now, and I still cannot adjust to the idea that women are so quick to go under the knife to enhance their bra size and cleavage. (And with a chest as flat as mine you’d think I’d be more understanding!) It boggles my mind. I mean big boobs are so plentiful here, that there isn’t any allure or mystique to them anymore…you pretty much assume they’re silicone-induced and from there the beauty is quickly lost.

Now, for any boob-enhanced readers, please forgive me, I don’t mean to offend you!

The reason for my rant is that there is a correlation between boob jobs and modern culture’s weight loss quick-fixation. The point is, that we are accustomed to seeking an outside, superficial solution, to an inside, psycho/spiritual problem. What I mean is, when people go under the knife the reason is usually, (they will tell you), “To feel better about myself”, “To feel sexier”, “To be more attractive”, “To finally look and feel normal”.

But the truth is that self-esteem, sensuality, attractiveness, and feeling “normal” are all qualities that must be realized on the inside before they translate on the outside. Sure, you may “look” more attractive, sexy and “normal” from plastic surgery, but how deep does that feeling go? Does it really reach that inner, empty place, from which these original negative feelings spawn?  And if you focused on healing these feelings within, would you have the same compulsion to change your outsides in such a severe way? I don’t think so.

In fact, I believe that 98% of all diets fail because people are looking to feel better on the inside by altering the outside; however, when that is all they do, those familiar feelings of loneliness, fear and discontent begin creeping back into their lives and the best antidote for such feelings is…why, food, of course!

And this is exactly why we have designed the first, ever, “Weight Loss from the Inside Out” event here in Los Angeles. The purpose of this event is to shift the focus of weight loss away from the idea that we can manipulate our bodies in numerous ways and magically lose weight…for good. We want to reinforce, instead, that the “Mind, Body, Spirit” approach to weight loss is the only way to enjoy lasting success. That is, when we change how we feel about ourselves, how we think about ourselves, how we nourish ourselves and how we care for ourselves, in all ways, then we can expect to have a healthy relationship with food and with our bodies… and lose weight.

So I hope you’ll join the new revolution in weight loss by registering now for “Weight Loss from the Inside Out”. Tickets are selling fast, and the early bird deadline will be over before you know it!

Andrew Cohen http://www.andrewcohen.org/ talks with Alex Greyhttp://www.alexgrey.com/

Andrew Cohen: Andrew Cohen is an American spiritual teacher and visionary thinker widely recognized for his original contribution to the emerging field of evolutionary spirituality. Through his talks, retreats, publications, and ongoing dialogues with the leading philosophers, mystics, and activists of our time, he is becoming a defining voice in an international alliance of individuals and organizations who are committed to the transformation of human consciousness and culture.

Alex Grey: Alex Grey (born November 29, 1953) is an American artist specializing in spiritual and psychedelic art (or visionary art) that is sometimes associated with the New Age movement. Grey is a Vajrayana practitioner. His body of work spans a variety of forms including performance art, process art, installation art, sculpture, visionary art, and painting. Grey is a member of the Integral Institute. He is also on the board of advisors for the Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics, and is the Chair of Wisdom University’s Sacred Art Department. He and his wife Allyson Grey are the co-founders of the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, a non-profit institution supporting Visionary Culture in New York City.

Prince Harming Syndrome?